With cloud computing driving the transition to converged infrastructure, the need for simplified management systems across compute, storage, network and virtualization functions is increasing. To help address this need, Cisco (News - Alert) today announced its intent to acquire privately held Cloupia, a Santa Clara, Calif.-based software company that automates converged data center infrastructure, for approximately $125 million, allowing enterprises and service providers to simplify the deployment and configuration of physical and virtual resources from a single management console.
Cloupia's infrastructure management software enhances Cisco's Unified Computing System (UCS) and Nexus switching portfolio with a single "pane-of-glass" view into the automation of compute, network, storage, virtual machine and operating system resources. Key benefits of the infrastructure management software include reduced operational costs, speed of deployment, cloud enablement, faster IT response and improved resource utilization.
When combined with data center management solutions like Cisco UCS Manager, Cloupia allows enterprises and service providers to seamlessly manage pools of computing power, network services, storage and virtual machines as a unified whole in order to deploy and deliver IT services more rapidly and at lower costs.
"Cisco's data center strategy is based on the premise of making it easier for customers to deploy a unified and integrated infrastructure that is efficient, fast, and flexible," said David Yen, senior vice president and general manager, Cisco Data Center Business Group, in a statement. "This strategy involves the delivery of the industry's most comprehensive data center networking portfolio, which includes physical and virtual products that support multiple hypervisors and storage stacks. The addition of Cloupia's automation software enhances the efficiency of such unified data center infrastructures, helping to accelerate the transition from physical to cloud environments more quickly and effectively."
Through its unified, embedded, policy-based, and ecosystem-friendly approach, Cisco UCS Manager helps reduce management and administration expenses, which are among the largest items in most IT budgets. The UCS Manager can manage up to 160 servers and thousands of Cisco UCS components in multiple chassis. The embedded management software and all the managed components are part of a UCS domain. With Cisco UCS Central, management can be extended globally to thousands of servers in multiple domains.
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Expanding on the Cisco UCS warranty, Cisco SMARTnet Service for Cisco UCS helps you increase uptime, quickly resolve issues and obtain the most from your unified computing investment. It goes far beyond a simple warranty replacement policy, which provides onsite parts replacement eight hours a day, five days a week, next business day. Cisco SMARTnet Service for Cisco UCS facilitates rapid resolution of issues and improves operational efficiency through a combination of expert technical support, triage support for third-party software, proactive diagnostics and alerts, Cisco Unified Computing System Manager (UCSM) updates, flexible hardware coverage, and optional onsite parts replacement support. This service also provides on-demand access to the extensive Cisco.com online knowledge base, resources, and tools.
XS International, an IT services company, offers an alternative solution for Cisco SMARTnet that offers value added benefits and services such as contract flexibilities, payment flexibilities, customer-tailored reporting, coverage for all Cisco data, voice and unified communications, security and SAN hardware and software products and access to its Technical Assistance Center. To learn more, click here.
Edited by Rich Steeves